Behind His Emerald Eyes
by teeceecee
Summary: Everyone knows Bunnymund as the calm, sarcastic, outback Guardian of Hope and the bringer of Easter. But what they don't know is the past he carries behind his facade. This is his story.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So this is the Bunnymund fanfic I was musing about in 'Fates Align' and I know it's never a good idea to juggle 3 fanfics all at once but I just couldn't resist posting this.**

**Inspired by Bunny's musing in WOC when he was thinking of Jack and Kayla during their visit to Father Time. **

**Tell me what you guys think! Listen to:**

**Memories - Within Temptation**

* * *

From Winds of Change:

_In his Warren, Bunnymund stood organizing eggs according to which country they were suppose to go. Leaving the task to one of his egg assistants, his mind then wondered to Jack and Kayla who were supposedly visiting Father Time._

_His emerald eyes filled with sadness as he felt the familiar pang of guilt and longing, knowing he himself was once pushed into the almost same position as Jack. The willingness to give up everything for someone you loved._

_Heaven knows he understood what Jack was going through._

* * *

It's funny how people say when you die; your life tends to flash in front of your eyes. But what they didn't know is that even in sleep, your mind tends to have flashbacks of its own.

That was the case for Bunnymund.

The huge Pooka woke up thrashing and sweating in his bed, his emerald eyes dilated with fear.

That was funny; he almost never had nightmares nowadays.

In a moment of vulnerability, he curled his body and started heaving, trying to block out the memories that his nightmare had produced.

He had dreamt about his family and what happened on the last day of the near extinction of the Pooka's, leaving Bunny the last one standing.

E. Aster screwed his eyes shut, trying but to no avail, to block out the onslaught of memories.

It was just any other day in the home of the Pooka's. The mythical Pooka's lair was hidden underground but almost every one of them loved going to the world above.

"Don't forget to be back in time for lunch, Aster," a strict female's voice could be heard.

A younger, less wary version of Bunnymund bounded down the earthen stairs of the burrow as his nose twitched cheekily.

"Yes, mum, I'll try," Bunny drawled in surprisingly non-Australian accent as he bounded to his gray furred mother and gave her a peck on her cheek.

Despite her warning to him, Bunny's mum smiled and scratched the back of her son's ears lovingly.

"Take care of Brianna too, okay?" his mum said as she waved at him before Bunny left the comfort of his burrow.

Bunny resisted the urge to roll his eyes. _Not Brianna_, he thought.

Brianna was the daughter of his mother's dear friend who was always trying to pair Bunny and her up. The two can barely stand to stop trading sarcastic remarks around each other and yet, her mum was so sure they'll end up together. Even Bunny's mum would say that they would be perfect for each other.

_Hmm, fat chance_, Bunny thought sourly.

Despite their harrowing differences, Brianna absolutely loved the wild just like him and therefore always asked to accompany him during berry hunting and the harvesting season.

Of course, her way of asking usually came accompanied with an insult, but Bunny digressed.

That female Pooka was going to be the death of him.

Just yesterday she had nearly fallen into the river while berry hunting and despite Bunnymund saving her, had put on an act that she had been pushed by the male rabbit because he found it funny.

Well, the pushing part was true but at least he did save her right? Right?

Bunny then started hopping faster, passing other almost empty burrows. He knew that today would be Harvest Day and that the rest of the Pooka's would be in the Above World, collecting their crops and preparing for winter.

Bunny hated winter. He despised snow, cold and anything remotely winter-ish.

He hated how winter always robbed the Above World of their life and made the trees look dead, the water frozen and even the wind sounded dead.

That's why he absolutely loved springtime.

It was customary for Bunnymund to spend the new spring day beside the Dew River, a beautiful abode where the rest of the Pooka's would go and splashed in the lukewarm water, reveling in the fact that another winter had passed.

Bunny's heart would always swell when he saw the signature thinning of pine trees and heard the merry rush of the river, beckoning his outback soul.

"Hey, turtle brain, slow down, would ya?" a remarkably sweet voice housing a biting remark said from behind him.

Bunny huffed. _That would be Brianna_ he thought as he just sped up.

Suddenly, a mass of white fur went tumbling into him as Bunny lost his footing and crashed to the ground.

Bunny huffed as he untangled himself from the white Pooka's limbs, glaring at his laughing adversity.

Brianna hooted as she got up and shook the dirt from her white fur.

"I told you to slow down, but apparently, I think I was going faster," the striking female Pooka said as her bright violet eyes shone with amusement.

Bunny gave her a fake grin. "I was just slowing down because you know what they say, you gotta respect the elderly and not thump dirt on their face, Bri," Bunny said in a scathing tone.

Brianna stuck out her tongue playfully. "You're just jealous," she remarked as she bounded away from him with a laugh.

Bunny momentarily looked flabbergasted as his eyes narrowed and leaped after her, muttering under his breath.

As he said, the death of him.

He could hear Brianna's laughing in a distance and when he halted in the clearing near the Dew River, he was confused.

That's funny, no sign of Brianna here, the male Pooka thought as his ears went flat against his skull.

Normally, on days like this where they were suppose to collect berries near the water; Brianna would often hide in an attempt to scare him silly.

It never worked, but it was always great material for a ribbing.

Now, the clearing was silent and Bunny could feel something was off. It was too silent. Eerily so.

A sudden gasp could be heard. "Help me!" Brianna's voice came from somewhere down the river.

Bunny mentally rolled his eyes as he approached the river with the intention of telling Brianna of that her trick didn't work.

What he saw instead made his heart leapt in his throat.

Brianna was flailing in the water, her violet eyes frozen with shock as her white fur was matted against her body. She was struggling against the current as the river was beckoning her to the end, where Bunny knew there would be a waterfall.

And the worst part is, she couldn't swim.

He winced when he saw Brianna's body being thrashed to the rocks by the current as he leaped to the edge of the bank where he extended his paw to her.

"C'mon! Grab hold of this Bri!" Bunny yelled as his emerald eyes filled with terror. Brianna was spluttering but she fought the current with the tenacity of steel as she tried gripping his paw.

In a moment of sweet relief, she had managed to grab his paw and was holding onto it for life.

But it seems as if fate had different plans.

With a jolt, Bunny realized his foot had slipped from the surface of the rock and he too went crashing into the water.

He tried fighting the current while holding onto Brianna's paw but the current was too strong.

His heart froze in terror when he felt the pull of the water trying to drag him below and he knew what that meant. The waterfall was just feet away.

Bunny imagined the imposing waterfall with her sharp rocks and high fall; that thought made his blood run cold.

A stream of Pooka swear words crossed his mouth as Bunny tried in vain to hold onto Brianna while keeping his head above the water.

Brianna spluttered as she too was trying to keep afloat.

The last thing Bunny saw before his body was flung to a particularly huge rock was Brianna's scared face and his terrified expression reflected in her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! So 'Behind His Emerald Eyes' was supposed to be a one-shot or kinda drabble-ish, but I decided I'd turn it to a full blown story since I got inspired by a multitude of songs and... Erm, more songs? Originally it was suppose to be like a pet project but I just couldn't resist finishing this story. **

**And I really like writing Brianna's character, she's just so freaking headstrong, stubborn and sarcastic. **

**SO here you go, Chapter 2 :) Listen to:**

**Better Than Love - Hurts **

* * *

Wetness. Sloshing. The sound of a labored breathing was all Bunnymund could hear as he slowly regained consciousness.

The huge Pooka groan as he felt the water rush out of his ears and the ache of his body told him that he should start moving, but he couldn't. The sunlight upon him felt so nice as he slowly drifted back to unconsciousness, the sound of the labored breathing becoming more frantic…

Bunny resurfaced again from the groggy depths of unconsciousness as he whipped his head sharply and immediately groaned at the sharp sensation. His whole body ached, literally everywhere.

What the heck happened?

"There you are, I was beginning to think you were going back to sleep again," a sarcastic voice rang out in echoes as Bunnymund shook his head.

Oh, right, the waterfall.

Bunny winced as he stood up and found himself in a cave, far from the waterfall. He turned to look at the source of sarcasm and found Brianna shivering against the opposite wall, her violet eyes wary.

Bunny felt his eyes widened marginally as he took in his surroundings. The opening of the cave gave way to a dense, foliage of forest where the moon could be seen clearly.

"Where are we?" Bunny rasped out and winced when he felt a tender ache swelling in his throat.

Brianna got up and gave a shell fill with water to him. Bunny took it warily but drank it anyway.

"We're far away from the waterfall, the current must've carried us all the way here," the female Pooka said with a frown. "When I woke up, this cave was the nearest and besides, you were no help," Brianna said drily as Bunny flushed indignantly.

"I was hurt," he mumbled angrily.

"So was I," Brianna retorted back at him before she went and put a hand on his shoulder.

Bunnymund winced and tried to flinch away but Brianna just rolled her eyes. "Relax, I was trying to assess the degree of your wounds," she said and rolled her violet eyes.

Aster winced as she did that again and remembered that Brianna probably learned this from her mother who was also the Pooka's resident healer.

The male rabbit visibly relaxed as Brianna continued poking his shoulder.

"Just a sprain though I think it's not too bad," she said nonchalantly as she limped to the opening of the cave.

Bunny frowned when he saw her limp and walked up to her too, albeit in a painful way.

"What about you?" Bunny demanded in a semi rude way as Brianna flashed him a fiery glare.

"I'll be fine," she retorted back equally as rude.

"We just have to find a few herbs which I think would be there in the forest and we'll be as good as new," Brianna said in an uncharacteristically soft voice, looking out into the dark forest that resembled a mass of shadows in the moonlight.

The whole scene looked creepy and Bunny felt a surge of guilt for leaving Brianna like this when he was still unconscious.

"You want to collect herbs right now?" he asked scathingly.

"Well, how can I since all we have right now is dead weight bunny," she sneered and Bunny glared ominously at her.

The two of them glowered at each other before Bunny sighed. "Let's please not fight anymore, I don't think I have the strength to do that," Bunny muttered under his breath and he swore he saw Brianna smile.

_Smug female Pooka_, Bunny thought viciously.

"I agree," she said wholeheartedly as she walked back in and curl by the wall. "We need to save our energy for tomorrow, to find our way back home," she mumbled as Bunny ambled to the opposite wall of the cave and snuggled himself down.

"Mhm," he said sleepily.

For the first time of this dreadful day, Bunny was glad that he had thick fur which could withstand the cold forest night air.

* * *

Bunny awoke just as the sun crept up above the horizon and wince when he stretched.

He got up and looked around for his female acquaintance when he saw she was nowhere in sight. Bunny rolled his eyes before ambling out of the cave, enjoying the dewy forest morning.

He then hopped away to the opening of the forest as he tried to collect the berries hanging from the various trees.

While enjoying a certain juicy blackberry, he heard the unmistakable sound of a twig snapping underneath a set of feet. Bunny narrowed his eyes as he took up a protective stance.

He followed the sound to a bush as he crouched low, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Bunny breathed a deep breath before pouncing on the unexpected intruder.

An indignant huff could be heard when Bunnymund looked down and saw a familiar mass of white fur underneath him. Brianna snarled as she threw him of her with a murderous.

"Good morning to you too turtle brain," Brianna snapped testily as Bunny looked sheepish.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were danger," Bunny mumbled before glaring at her. "Where exactly have you been this morning?" he snapped back.

Brianna stood impassive as she reached down to collect the roots that fell out of her hand when that damn rabbit attacked her. She lifted the roots to his face and gave him a glare.

"Collecting roots for your wounds, seeing as how nice I am and you just had to completely bowl me over like a freaking wolf," Brianna said scathingly as she narrowed her violet eyes in frustration.

Bunny's emerald eyes opened just a fraction. "You were collecting roots for me?" he asked, barely concealing his shock.

Brianna flushed but held his gaze with a tenacity of steel. "Yes, bird brain, I was," she admitted with a sigh before bounding back to the cave.

Bunny looked confused as he followed her back. This was the same female Pooka here who loathed being around him for more than an hour and here she was, collecting roots to make a herbal remedy for him.

_Women. They're so confusing_, Aster mussed in exasperation.

When he got back to the cave, he made it just in time to see Brianna soaking up the roots before she mashed them roughly with her paws. She gestured for Bunny to sit beside her and the male rabbit hesitantly went up to her.

"I'm not going to murder you or anything, bird brain," Brianna huffed impatiently.

"Somebody's snarky today," Bunnymund commented drily and was shock to find that he had actually… Teased her.

Brianna shook her head as she unexpectedly slathered the mash roots on his shoulders and Bunny's sharp intake of breath could be heard as the roots burn against his skin.

"What the- What's this?" Bunny spluttered, wincing at the radiating heat.

"It's a plant we healers call the Fire Touch, it helps with muscle cramps and what not," Brianna said casually as she too mashed up more roots and applied it to her leg and shoulders.

She gasped as she felt the familiar radiating heat and closed her eyes momentarily.

The heat was unbearable and Bunny had to stifle in a groan. _This is why he hated healers and their scary plants._

After a moment of breathing deeply through his nose to get rid of the pinching hot sensation, the unbearable hot sensation slowly cooled down to a warm glow that made Bunny feel relaxed and sleepy.

Brianna gave him a small smile as she saw his expression of pain become one of relief.

"You should go to sleep, we can collect food later tonight," Brianna's voice was like a soothing balm to him and he closed his eyes as he lied on the cave floor.

"Sleep," she said in an amuse tone and Bunny drifted to unconsciousness.

Now that's something he won't argue with her about.

* * *

The atmosphere was relaxed as the two Pooka's rested after their harrowing experience of nearly drowning.

The steady breathing alerted them to a dark entity that was standing at the edge of the forest, its breathing ragged, and drool falling from its sharp teeth.

It whipped its head up as the dark entity caught a whiff of their scent.

Mercifully its master called to it before it could run after the two sleeping Pooka's.

With their scent memorized in its mind, the terror turned around and ran in the opposite direction, a feral gleam in its yellow eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, I finally had the time to update this since I've been so busy lately with school and what not. Heh, and I've also been concentrating more on my other story 'Fates Align' *smiles sheepishly* Check my other story if you guys are interested ;)**

**So, in answer to****_ xxxAngel-Fizzyxxx_**** who asked me how old are Brianna and Bunny is, all I have to say is I have no idea at all. In the ROTG movie, I guess nobody knows if the Guardians are still teenagers except Jack and Tooth cause they look young but for this story, I can safely say that they're about 17? Hope this answers your question!**

**Thanks guys for the wonderful reviews! Review if you want more :)**

**Happy reading and tell me what you think! Listen to:**

**Awake And Alive - Skillet**

* * *

Bunny awoke with a groan and stretched his limbs. He pleasantly realized that they didn't ache as much as they did before and he gave a small grateful grin.

"Stop smiling by yourself, it's creepy," a voice said from outside of the cave.

"Good morning to you too Bri," Bunny said in a considerably happy tone as he turned to regard Brianna who was standing at the opening to their small cave.

Despite herself, she had a small smile on her face and looked visibly relaxed ever since yesterday.

_Well, at least I'm thankful that she's here instead of all those other pampered, nature hating Pooka girls_, Bunny thought drily and nearly smacked himself in the face for thinking of that.

Luckily, Brianna's voice cut through his train of thought and he had to focus on what she said cause apparently it was important.

"… Our scent is just too noticeable," Brianna reasoned as she gave an exasperated sigh.

"Excuse me?" Bunny asked in a slightly perplexed tone, his emerald eyes wide.

" Bunnymund! Are you listening to me or not?!" Brianna said hotly.

"I said we have to leave this place because our scent is too noticeable here and there might be predators or something worse here," she said as her white fur bristle when she thought about that.

Bunny narrowed his eyes as he thought of that possibility and came bounding up to Brianna, a wild look of urgency suddenly gracing his face.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get out of here," Aster said spiritedly, bounding away as Brianna shook her head in mild amusement and followed her male companion.

-Line break-

"Show me where they were," a silken voice said as the black entity raised its head, a hint of a smile forming on its ghoulish face.

The terror raised its head to recapture the scent of the Pooka's as it sprinted to the cave beside the river, where the dense foliage thinned enough so that they could see the opening of the cave.

"Good," the voice purred again as it stroked the head of the black entity.

He walked with purposeful strides to the opening of the cave, a sword of black sand already forming on his right hand, smirk upon his evil face.

His mind raced with the possibility of exterminating the Pooka's race once and for all for he knew that they posed a threat to his mission.

He smiled at the wave of bloodlust coursing through his veins.

When he got to the opening of the cave, he stride in and was expecting to come face to face with the two Pooka's but instead, the cave was empty and looked untouched.

The man dropped his sword in confusion as his face contorted in an evil snarl.

"My pet," the silken voice said again as the terror came by, languishing in pride at the thought of making its master proud.

The beast lifted its head in pure confusion when he found that the caves were empty and untouched. Its yellow eyes glinted in confusion and it was suddenly afraid.

"Where did you say they were again?" the shadowy man said, his voice mild but the terror wasn't fooled. Its master may sound calm but the terror knew that underneath his tone was as hard as iron steel and sharp as razors.

The shadowy man was angry. Very angry.

It cowered below its master's piercing stare as the shadowy man narrowed his amber eyes.

The terror opened its mouth to try to explain using an ancient dialect of shadows before the man raised his sword and cut the head of the terror off swiftly and cleanly.

The head fell off to the ground and immediately the body disintegrated to nothingness, leaving behind an eerie aura.

The man snarled, he was going to find them and kill them once and for all.

"Find them, and don't hesitate to end them if you must," he commanded in a lustrous yet dangerous tone, his sharp teeth glistening against the innocent morning sunlight.

The shadow to which the man was talking to reared its head and bounded off. This shadow was unlike terror that only caused mayhem and fear.

This was the shadow of death.

* * *

They had been travelling for hours now, going further into the forest, away from the cave.

Brianna was up in the lead as she was interested in observing the varying plants in this unexplored side of the forest.

Her violet eyes were alight with a childish like wonder as she murmured to herself about the different types of remedies that could be formed. Despite himself, Bunny smiled at her antics, amused.

"You know, we don't have the whole day right?" Bunny prodded jokingly as Brianna came to her senses and rolled her eyes before spotting a certain rare plant and bounding up to it excitedly.

"Whoa, I can't believe I managed to find this," she said, her face alighting with happiness.

Bunny hopped to her as he too observed what she was looking at. The plant which she was observing looked unassuming and almost lifeless but Brianna assisted that this plant was one of the best remedies for an open wound as the chemicals in it help to coagulate blood or something like that.

Bunny smirked behind her back.

"C'mon Bri, it's almost gonna be dark," Bunny stated, staring at the sun, so close to the horizon.

Brianna nodded as she took one last look at the plant and bounded along to Bunny.

They both ran in silence, lost in their own thoughts as they avoided stray roots, rocks and the uneven forest floor.

"Thanks by the way," Bunny murmured to her, the tips of his ears turning a soft shade of red.

Brianna turned to him as she appraised him with her brilliant violet eyes, looking confused. "For what, bird brain?" she asked but her insult didn't house the usual bite it had, instead it sounded almost like a nickname.

_Maybe I'm getting used to it_, Bunny thought with a mental shake of his head.

"For healing me, Bri," Bunny said gruffly, not daring to look at her.

Brianna suddenly stopped and Bunny too screeched to a halt, turning to look back at her warily.

Her expression truly looked bewildered as she tried to process what Bunny had just said.

Bunny stared at her unsure. "I mean, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have got better," Bunny said with hesitant honesty.

Brianna's shocked expression contorted to a smug grin. She held up one paw as she shook her head, her violet eyes alight and amused.

"Hold up," she said and gestured with her upright paw. "Let me savior this sweet moment of Bunnymund saying thanks to me," she said and closed her eyes in mock bliss.

She opened her eyes and smirked as Bunny flushed and rolled his eyes.

"Don't get too used to it," Bunny muttered and turned back, hopping away.

Brianna easily caught up to him as she bounded beside him. "You're welcome," she said softly as Bunny turned to her and gave her a glare, expecting her to make fun of him, but instead he found that her sweet face radiated sincerity.

They both stopped at the same time as they glanced at each other, emerald to violet.

A heartbeat of a moment had passed as they both stared at each other, not sure of what to say.

Bunny then said something that he thought he would never _ever_ say to her.

"I'm glad you healed me," Bunny admitted and gave her a boyish shy smile.

Brianna paused, her eyes darting to the surrounding forest as she figured out how to reply, her face flushed.

_Gah, what was happening to me?_ She thought and gave herself a mental scowl.

Every fiber in her body was telling her to make a sarcastic remark, act like how she would whenever she was around him, but the response that she gave, completely and utterly surprised her.

"I'm glad I did too," Brianna said as she reciprocated with a shy smile of her own.

The two Pooka's didn't realize it, but with that simple statement and acknowledgement, a bond was formed and two lives were intertwined more so than they were now and only fate would tell how strong it was going to get.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! So, I had time to update today, yay!**

**Oh, and thank you guys for all your lovely reviews and remember to leave one at the end of this chapter :)**

**Reviews are always appreciated!**

**Well, hope you guys enjoy this chapter as this story is just gonna get more interesting ;) Listen to:**

**Howl - Florence and The Machine**

* * *

When Brianna and Bunny were strong enough after their waterfall accident, they simply made a hole appeared out of the ground and jumped in to get some rest.

Brianna was resting in their little underground cavern while Bunnymund was out keeping a look out for anything suspicious that may come their way.

The Pooka's were not only magnificent, tall, smart creatures, but they were also the masters of the earth and ground.

Brianna used to feel annoyed by her father's constant reminders how Pooka's were superior because they could move anyway around the world at any time they want by these mysterious tunnels.

Call it strange, but even though she was a Pooka and the earth was her forte, she never liked going underground because it made her feel claustrophobic and suffocated.

Now, lying in a semi comfortable aired tunnel, she kind of regretted always rolling her eyes whenever her father told her long far away stories of the tunnels leading to exotic places that were never heard before.

She was contemplatively staring at the red earthen wall in front of her, chewing listlessly on a rare apple she found somewhere in the forest when her thoughts were rudely interrupted.

A crash could be heard from the opening of the tunnel as she looked around wildly, trying to find the source of the noise. The apple she was chewing fell neglected on the floor as she narrowed her violet eyes and poised herself ready for a fight.

After a tense silence, a mass of grey fur and familiar long grey ears came crashing through the opening, merely missing her by inches.

"Ow!" Bunny whined as he got up and shook the dirt of, ignoring Brianna's surprised yelp of indignation.

"You could have just knocked," she said sarcastically but reluctantly helped him up.

Bunny shook his head, seemingly disorientated but immediately recovered his stance and looked at her with newfound panic.

"We have to get out of here," he said in a terrified voice as Brianna looked at him in a mortified way.

"Why, Bunny what happ-" she was interrupted by a piercing howl, seeming feet away from their so called safe shelter.

"They found us!" Aster deadpanned as he delivered a round house kick to the earthen wall Brianna was staring at only minutes ago and the huge solid mass of rock gave way to a tunnel.

Bunny took her hand and sped off in the tunnel, with Brianna right beside him.

"You led them here!" Brianna shouted out incredulously as they sprinted along the magical tunnel, avoiding tree roots and overhead branches.

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "What are they?" she asked slash screamed at him.

"They found us! That's why I rushed back in," Bunny said in a huff as he rounded a sharp bend.

The sound of padding paws could be heard behind them as the two Pooka's hurtled themselves through the tunnels at a massive velocity, never daring to look back in fear.

"They're huge giant shadow wolves," Bunny said without being out of breath as Brianna looked at him sharply.

The tunnel ended and a burst of light could be seen as they were hurtling out from the underground tunnel and into the above world.

Bunny squinted at the bright light as he heard Brianna's shallow breathing beside him.

The wolves were still catching up to them as Bunny had an idea.

He stopped and turned around, facing the shadow wolves head on.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Brianna screeched as she stopped and turned back to face Bunny.

"I know what I'm doing," he replied calmly back although it was just a façade he was trying to keep because his legs were trembling.

Brianna rushed back to him as she grabbed hold of his arm and tried tugging him away, the sound of the wolves padding paws coming in on them.

Her violet eyes were filled with panic and dread as she looked up at Bunny, tenuously tugging his arm.

"C'mon Bunny!" she screeched as she tried again to pull him away.

"Run first," he said still in that scary calm tone as Brianna looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Are you crazy?!" she exclaimed in a terrified tone with a hint of anger.

"Go," Bunny urged her, pushing her towards the direction of the forest.

Brianna looked wildly to the woods and then back to and then to the sound of the wolves who were gaining on them.

"I'm not leaving without you," she said in a shaky voice as her eyes welled up with tears of frustration.

The wolves were now running headlong to them, mere feet away.

She had no time to process anything as she closed her eyes and held onto that goddamn Bunnymund's arm, waiting for the attack of the wolves to descend upon them.

But the impact never came.

A yelp could be heard as numerous loud thuds resonated and nothing was heard no more.

She risked a peek and found Bunny staring at her in a bemused way.

"What the…?" she asked breathlessly as she took in the scene before her.

It looked as if the wolves haven't even chased them in the first place. The clearing of forest in front of them was clear with no signs of the monstrous shadow wolves, the morning sun still sparkling oblivious to the turmoil that had just happened.

"Whaaa…?" Brianna asked as she looked at Bunny for an explanation.

"I opened a hole and trapped them underground, at least I hope I did trap them" Bunny said as his emerald eyes glinted with amusement.

But deep down he was secretly relieved that his plan had worked and that it didn't end with them being dead.

Aster silently released a relieved breath.

Brianna looked dumbfounded as she tried to wrap her head around what happened and when she looked back at him, her eyes radiated pure anger.

"Bunny!" she yelled murderously. "I swear if you pull that stunt on me again, I'll murder you and use your ears for pain killing medicine!" she exclaimed.

With a huff she was conscious that she still had an arm wrapped around Bunnymund's arm and she withdrew it hastily and pushed him away, glowering at him.

Bunny really couldn't take it anymore and he let out a loud laugh at her expression and reaction, doubling and using his knees from support as he let out chuckle after chuckle of amusement.

Brianna gave him a pissed of glare as she walked away and left Bunny to his own laughter.

Bunny got up and wiped the tears of mirth from his emerald eyes. With a last chortle, he followed Brianna and easily caught up to her, beguilement still written on his features.

"Seriously Bunny?! That wasn't even funny; we both could have gotten killed!" Brianna shrieked at him, her expression upset.

Bunny sobered up as he gave an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I thought my plan would never work out, but it did and I managed to save us, alright?" he apologized albeit defensively.

Brianna looked as if she was going to blow up but her expression quickly changed from anger to horrification.

"You thought your plan wasn't going to work out but you did it anyway?" she asked incredulously.

Bunny flushed at his stupid action as he mentally smacked himself in the head. He gave a shrug of his shoulders as he looked at her sheepishly.

"Kinda…" he trailed off to Brianna's sigh and eye roll.

"Oh, _bird brain_," she stated but she gave him an endearing look.

* * *

They made their way to a nearby shading in the forest since neither of them wanted to sleep underground due to the shadow wolves.

Something Bunnymund called a 'pest problem'.

Brianna rolled her eyes albeit good naturedly as they settled uncomfortably on their bed of dirt and leaves, the overhead trees sheltering them from the possibility of rain and what not.

Brianna exhaled as she settled down near Bunnymund due to the shade not being big enough.

It was awkward and tense as the two Pooka's settle next to each other, each lost in their own thoughts.

Brianna was just about to fall asleep after a long moment when Bunny's voice cut through her rapid fire thoughts.

"Thank you for staying with me and not leaving," his voice said quietly over the forest's din. "When we were being attacked," he added hastily.

Brianna felt the weirdest sensation as if her stomach was doing flip flops reminiscent of the fishes that rejoiced during spring in Dew River.

"You've been doing an awful lot of thanking lately," Brianna said jokingly, not daring to look back at him, her back still turned to his.

All was quiet for a moment and Brianna thought he had fell asleep.

"Because I have a lot to be thankful for," Bunny whispered and Brianna didn't reply.

After all, what does one say to someone who thanked you for not leaving their side?

Even in the face of death?

* * *

Brianna huffed as she made her way up a particularly steep rock, trying to not think how far they were from the ground.

The forest had ended and gave way to a steep rocky hillside where the waterfall started.

They knew of they could make it up there, and then home was just around the corner.

"How long have we been missing?" Bunny asked her after the silence got a little too loud.

Brianna licked her lips as she mentally calculated the number of days.

"About four?" she said uncertainly as they avoided a particularly huge rock.

"Are you sure you don't want to use one of our magical tunnels to travel there?" Brianna huffed as she turned to Bunny who was panting from the exertion.

Bunny shook his head vehemently.

"I don't want to risk it," he said after a beat.

Brianna nodded as they continued on.

* * *

When they reached the top of the hill, it was near to dusk as the blazing sun neared its way to the horizon.

Bunny got up there first as he turned around to help Brianna up.

The both of them flopped to the ground, momentarily exhausted from their climb.

Brianna was the first one to get up as she heard the familiar rush of water and bounded excitedly to it as Bunny groaned and followed her.

They both hopped slowly to the river where they spend some time in washing the dirt of their fur and to wash away the blood from the cuts they sustained from the climb.

"You better not fall in here again," Bunny warned her as Brianna gave him a rare smile.

When they were done, they made their way tiredly back home, in the opposite of the waterfall.

"I miss home," Brianna mumbled mostly to herself.

"Me too," Bunny said as he gave her an encouraging look. "We're almost there," he said excitedly as the forest foliage thinned where the opening to the burrows and the Pooka's farms could be seen.

"Here we-" Bunny said excitedly as he bounded through the leaves and stopped in his tracks when he took in his village.

"What?" Brianna asked when she saw Bunny stopped. "What happ-" she asked but stopped midsentence with her mouth agape and violet eyes wide.

The rows of plantations that belonged to the Pooka's were destroyed and burnt, the baskets they used to collect their harvests laying scattered all over the ground.

The ground itself was covered with burnt ashes and a mish mash of various farming tools.

The entrance to the burrows looked relatively unburned but Brianna and Bunnymund feared the worse.

They both shared a look with each other as Brianna swallowed her horrification, hoping for the best but fearing the worse.

"What in the name of Pooka happened?" Bunny asked incredulously.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! So I finally found time this week to update most of my fanfictions... Yeah, if my schedule was a real person, he would be Freddy Kreuger personified...**

**Thanks to ****_TheJoyousCrosser_****, ****_Avatar Aang_****, and ****_RizReviewer_**** for your lovely reviews!**

**On with the story and do leave a review! ****Listen to:**

**Nothing Left To Say - Imagine Dragons**

* * *

Brianna was silent as she stared at the disaster that used to be their village.

She silently made her way to one of the burrow openings and led inside, her heart dropping all the way to her stomach.

Bunny followed her silently as they dreaded what was underground.

If they thought that the above was bad, they weren't prepared to see what was underground.

Ashes clung to the floor of the massive underground burrow where the Pooka's called home, looking like stained snow.

All was empty as the wind flowing from the above rustled the ashes on the ground limply, circulating around the two Pooka's feet.

They silently met each other's gaze as the same thought passed through their minds; the shadows.

Brianna sucked in a huge breath as she thought about her family and quickly bounded to their earthen home as Bunnymund followed suit.

When she reached her home, she found it was blackened and the earth was burnt.

A horrible thought flashed through her mind as she stepped into her burrow.

"Mum? Dad?" she called out hoarsely, her eyes shining with the threatening tears.

Behind her she saw Bunnymund moving to his burrow which was located near Brianna's burrow.

Right then, Brianna felt as if someone had landed a punch to her gut as she grabbed the side of the wall for support. Panic overcame her, drowning out her pants with the pounding of her heart.

She ran to her parent's room and saw the same damn ashes littering the floor of the room. But her parents weren't here.

Her worst fears were confirmed.

The air smelled stale like the scent of… Death and Brianna choked on the tears that were rapidly falling down her violet eyes.

A terrible thought flashed through her mind as she lifted her feet from the ground, now mindful that she might be stepping on her parent's ashes.

She sniffed and her voice broke in a loud keen as the sniffs turn into full out sobs.

A pair of arms wrapped comfortingly around her waist and for the first time in her life, she was glad that Bunnymund was still with her as she wept into his fur.

_Damn being strong and all_, she thought as she gave a devastated sob.

She looked up to see that Bunny's eyes were rimmed with red too and he looked like he was about to be sick.

"All of them?" she whispered.

Bunny's strained silence told her all she needed to know as she rested her forehead against his chest.

"I'm sorry," she choked out.

"Me too," Bunnymund whispered back in a haggard whisper.

They were silent for a while as they rocked back and forth, trying to comfort each other while releasing their sorrows at the same time.

Somehow, they had found themselves on the floor as they clung to each other, Brianna's sobs long dissolving into labored breaths.

The top of her ears felt wet and she knew that it was from Bunny's tears as well.

No… No… she thought.

_It couldn't be. _

They can't _all _be gone.

With a jolt, she looked up at Bunny who regarded her warily.

"There might be others," she whispered that last part out as Bunny's expression suddenly changed from one of intense sadness to purposeful panic.

They both stood up simultaneously as Brianna unknowingly grabbed Bunny's paw as she surveyed the room one last time.

Then something had caught her eye as she looked up in shock.

By the corner of her parent's bed, she caught sight of her mother's precious wedding ring and she gingerly picked it up, and lying next to each other, was also her father's wedding band.

Tears formed in her eyes as she gave a sad watery smile.

She knew that whatever had killed her parents, they had both went through it together and probably even died holding hands.

She showed Bunny the rings as he took it carefully in his paw and glanced at it.

They both then shared a tender smile as Bunny pocketed the rings in one of the pockets on his leather strap filled with explosive eggs and a pair of boomerangs.

Wait, what?

"Bunny, where'd you get those?" Brianna asked, momentarily distracted by the sight of Bunny's new addition.

"Huh, oh. They're my dad's. He used to be a nut that one. Making explosive eggs and all that," Bunny mumbled as a look of sadness passed between his emerald eyes.

Brianna gave him a bewildered look as she shook the dirt from her fur. "I never knew he did those kinds of things," she said in an astonished tone.

"Well, mum didn't want to let the neighbors know about dad's wacky antics," Bunny said and with a broken chuckle he lovingly brushed dirt of his new loaded strap.

Brianna gave a small smile as she noticed that she was still holding his hand as she hastily let go of it.

Bunny noticed too as his face flushed, the tips of his ears turning a bright red.

They gave each other a shy smile as they walked out of Brianna's burrow and walked around their destructed village, searching for signs of life among the barren land of ashes.

They came to a halt at the end of the village as they found no signs of life.

Bunny gave Brianna a sad look as they walked back to the above.

"We can't just leave them like this," Brianna said as she looked towards a few of the apple trees where she would often go apple picking with her dad.

Now all that's left is a burnt stump of a tree.

"We have no choice," Bunny said in a hard tone as he took in one last time, their fallen village.

Brianna was silent for a while before looking at Bunny, a lump suddenly clogging her throat.

"Are we truly the last ones?" she asked in a small voice.

Bunny looked at her in obvious shock. "I… I guess we are," he finally muttered.

Brianna nodded her head as her mind spin from all the emotional turmoil they faced today.

She nodded and wanted nothing more than to desperately sleep this off and think of this as a huge nightmare.

Well, at least I have Bunny, her conscience suddenly stated and she felt her face go red at that thought.

"You okay Bri?" Bunny asked as they made their way back to the forest.

"Yeah, I'm alright," she said carelessly as Bunnymund didn't look convinced but just let it go.

"Can we please spend the night somewhere far away from here?" Brianna suddenly pleaded, hating the way her tone sounded too whiny but she knew she couldn't bear the thought of sleeping next to a huge Pooka graveyard.

Bunny seemed to share her skirmishes as he nodded and he made a hole in the ground and the both of them hopped in, racing to the other side of the valley, far away from the remains of their kind.

They both appeared out of the hole before setting sights on a clump of trees forming a nice shade from any possibility of rain.

Bunny knew how much Brianna hated to sleep underground but he needed to so that they would safe.

"Bri, we have to go underground," he said as Brianna's eyes grew panic before it became defiant.

"I hate being underground," she stated and Bunny had to keep a straight face on from her petulant tone.

"I know you do Bri, but whatever destroyed our kind must be on the hunt for us too," he said as he quickly formed a hole in the middle of the ground.

Brianna's face paled until it matched her fur as she nodded before hopping into the comfortable makeshift burrow that Bunny had made.

She laid down on the ground as comfortably as she could and when she felt Bunny's presence beside her, she immediately relaxed.

Bunny wiggled to make room as his body accidently bumped hers and Brianna felt her stomach flutter from the contact.

She mentally chastised herself for thinking of that when her parents had been murdered.

She then got up as she looked to see that Bunny was already asleep and she rolled her eyes.

He always knocked out so easily; she mused as she gently opened the flap of his strap and took out her parent's rings.

She looked at it for a while before slipping it on her slender finger, the ring's weight calming her sadness.

She looked at her father's wedding band and contemplated putting it together with her mum's ring on the same but decided to do it anyway.

With the comfort of at least something of her parent's, Brianna drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

It was dark and cold in her dreams as she saw a shadow coming out from the ground and attacking Bunny.

She gasped as Bunny morphed into her parents, and then her friends, their faces of horror a replica of each other.

Brianna tried to help them but every time she went closer, the image drew farther apart until it was a speck in the horizon.

Brianna felt empty. And scared.

But what scared her most weren't the shadow monsters but the lingering feeling of horror that settled in her belly.

And the loneliness.

That definitely scared her to death.

Brianna woke up, a scream lodged in her throat as she tried to move but found that she couldn't.

Brianna's heart rate spiked as she tried shaking of the contraption holding her body close.

With a huff she realized that it was Bunny, his arms bounded tightly around her waist from behind and his face nuzzled in her ears.

Her face heated up as she realized the intimacy of the situation but she didn't dare wake him up. She felt he needed sleep more than she did and that thought calmed her down.

_Since_ _when did you care so much for him?_ Her subconscious said smugly and Brianna mentally slapped her.

_Since he's the only thing I have now_, she replied tiredly back.

Something in shadows above shifted and Brianna thought that it must be the shade as she took the opportunity to idly stroke Bunny's arms that were wound around her waist.

But then the shadows were moving too much and it appeared to be drawing nearer to their burrow.

With a jolt, she realized those weren't just ordinary shadows, but the damn demons themselves.

"Bunny! Wake up!" she screeched.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys!**

**So this chapter is where things will become more tense and there will be a mysterious OC at the end, just keep reading ;) I'm sorry that this chapter is a little short but I promise, the next one will be about Pitch's intent to destroy the Pooka's and how Brianna and Bunnymund are going to solve this. Love ****_might_**** blossom. Might. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, I truly appreciate it! On with the story and tell me what you think! **

**Listen to:**

**Renegade - Paramore**

* * *

Bunny got up with a jolt, his eyes still bleary as he looked in obvious shock at the shadows pressing in on them.

"C'mon," Brianna said as she threw a kick to the wall of the tunnel and the earthen wall formed a portal to another side of the forest.

Bunny closed the above portal before the shadow wolves could enter in and followed Brianna through her makeshift portal.

"Do you have enough of those explosives?" Brianna asked as they raced together through the portal.

"Enough to wipe them off," Bunny said in a determined tone as Brianna nodded.

The two Pooka's raced away from the dark wolves with a look of grim determination.

Suddenly Bunny turned to Brianna with an uncharacteristic look of panic. "Bri, when I saw quiclly make a portal out of here, can you do it for me?" he asked, a hint of fear coloring his tone.

Brianna nodded, albeit a little confuse as she readied herself for Bunny's signal.

The wolves were about to close up on them, tunneling their way through their makeshift portal as this repetitive chase was starting to make her sick. Brianna just wanted this to stop.

"Bri, now!" Bunny shouted as Brianna quickly formed a portal above the ground and jumped out, her eyes wide at Bunny.

The male Pooka turned around, hastily grabbing two explosive eggs and throwing them to the pack of shadow wolves. Colored wisps escaped from the oval explosives when they found their target and the colored mist provided a cover for Bunny to escape from the ground.

With a flourish, Brianna tapped her foot on the ground and the portal disappeared, leaving the rather sickening sounds of detonating explosives underground.

Brianna winced as she noticed a strange black mass moving but when she blinked, it was gone.

Unnerved, she regarded Bunny tersely. "We can't keep them underground forever."

"I know," came his reply as he quickly turned and walked away, Brianna following him.

Suddenly, a low growl could be heard. Unexpected, a lone stray black wolf leapt through the air with the intent on ending the two last Pookas.

It arced into the air, ready to strike as Bunny quickly pushed Brianna away so that she would be away from the line of fire, a snarl and a boomerang ready.

Just as he was about to lift his hand and throw the contraption, an arrow flew from out of nowhere and striked the terrifying shadow in its chest.

The wolf dropped to the ground, panting as the arrow slowly drained its life away. With a last breath, the shadow dissipated.

Brianna stared at Bunny, her heart racing as he looked at her in surprise.

"I knew my father would be after you," a surprisingly low female voice said from behind them.

The two Pooka's turned around at the same time to face whoever had saved them. Brianna's eyes widened as she took in the sight of who had saved them.

A willowy young woman wearing a blood red cloak which shadowed her features stared passively at them. She had jet black hair and from within her cloak, her eyes were an amber yellow, haunting yet mesmerizing at the same time.

The young woman threw her cloak over her head as the two stunned Pooka's sat in silence.

She shook out her straight raven black hair as they got a good look at her face. She was young, not more than 18 but the way she carried herself made her look as if she was old beyond her years.

Her pale skin contrasted greatly with her midnight colored hair as she clutched a bow close to her side.

Bunny, after having overcome his shock, stared at her with wary curiosity.

"Who are you and why would you help us?" he demanded as her pale lips quirk in a half smile.

Brianna just stared impassively at their mysterious savior. Something the girl said clicked in her mind as her violet eyes widened.

"You said you knew your father would get us, so I presume he was the one who sent the demons after us?" Brianna questioned.

Brianna tilted her chin up defiantly as she waited for the raven haired girls answer.

"Yes," she said slowly. "My father, Pitch-"

"_The_ Nightmare King," Bunnymund whispered in a hush tone as Brianna perked up and stared at him in horror.

The Pookas had heard about the terrifying Nightmare King, heard about rumors that he planned to end the Golden Age of the universe and turn Tsar Lunar's moon prince into a fearling. Pitch and his nefarious band of fearlings always casted a shadow of fear among the Pooka's.

And now, it was no exception.

"How could we have been so dense? The shadows, the attacks at night…" revelation hit Bunny as he voiced out his thoughts. "He's after us, but question is, why?" Bunny pondered as he paced up and down.

Muttering, Bunny only seemed to notice the girl who was looking at him in an almost bored way. A look of shock crossed his emerald eyes.

"Wait, wait, wait, hang on, Pitch had a daughter? Pitch _Black_ had a _daughter_? So that makes you-"

She sighed. "My name's Lilith. Lilith Black. And I'm here to help so that you would defeat my father," she said in grim determination.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys. So sorry that I haven't updated for almost a month now cause I was concentrating more on my other stories *sheepish grin*. Well, here's chapter 7 and I hope you like it :) Listen to:**

**It's Not My Time - Three Doors Down**

* * *

Bunnymund and Brianna were shell shocked as they stared at her in amazement.

"Why would you want us to defeat your father?" Brianna asked in a suspicious tone.

Lilith frowned. "The reasoning behind this is long and I might need some time to explain to the both of you. Please, do follow me back to my home so we can discuss in peace," Lilith said formally as she gestured for the two Pooka's to follow her.

Bunnymund and Brianna followed after her, into the deeper part of the forest as they cast each other looks of unease.

Brianna then silently gestured to Lilith with an agitated expression as if to say _can we really trust her?_

Bunnymund shrugged his shoulders and gave a pointed look at Brianna.

Brianna understood what that look meant.

_They have to be on their guard._

The trail that Lilith followed was twisted and turned among the uneven forest floor.

When the silence and the unease was becoming too much for Brianna to bear, she thought of asking the Nightmare King's daughter where she was planning to take them, when Lilith finally spoke up.

"We're here," she said in a hush tone as she stopped at a relatively small patch of clearing.

Brianna snorted. "Nice home you have."

Lilith shook her head, a small secret smile in place.

"This isn't my home, not yet anyway," she said cryptically and before Bunnymund could ask what she meant, they saw Lilith close her eyes and raise her right hand.

The two Pooka's stared silently as she started muttering.

Upon closer hearing, it seemed to be a chant or a spell and for a moment, the scenery in front of them seemed to be shimmering like a road surface on a hot day.

The Pooka's stared in obvious wonder and surprise at the home that just magically appeared in front of them as Lilith's chanting stopped.

She smirked when she saw their reactions.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my home," she said simply as the two bunnies still stared.

Lilith's home was a simple wooden cabin with an emblem of a two wands crossing each other on her door.

She saw them gaping at the crossed wands and explained.

"The wands are a symbol of my coven of witches so if they happen to stumble upon my home, they'll know it's one of them."

Bunnymund gave an intake of breath.

Witches?

No wonder.

Lilith opened the door of her home as she gestured for them to follow her.

Bunnymund and Brianna stepped in hesitantly as expected, the house was sparsely decorated.

Only a wooden table and a rickety chair adorned the centre of the room and a steep set of stairs leading to a room on the top gave the cabin a slightly abandoned feeling.

Lilith set her bow and arrow on the table as she gestured around the room.

"I hope you don't mind the emptiness, I feel more comfortable here."

"I like the chair," Brianna spoke up as Lilith gave her a smile.

Not one of her smirks or cryptic ones, it was a real smile.

She chuckled as she ran her hand through inky black hair.

"So, down to business," she said in a formal tone as the two Pooka's stared at her warily.

"The reason my father is after you," she said briskly as she got up and without warning, conjured a heavy leather binded book from thin air.

She deftly flicked open the book as her slender finger tapped the page she wanted.

She put the book down so that Bunnymund and Brianna could see from across the table.

The two Pooka's stared at a picture depicting a cloaked man, weaving strands of black liquid like substance.

The substance seemed as if it was seeping into the head of a group of, wait…

Humans?

The humans looked dazed, as if they didn't know what was happening, but the cloaked figure had a wicked smile upon his face.

Brianna looked at Bunnymund who was deep in thought.

Lilith stood still as she looked at the two of them, gauging their reaction.

"It's a book of prophecies written even before the Moon was created," Lilith explained softly.

"My father is after an important component for a spell that will enslave all of mankind."

Bunnymund swallowed noisily. "What's that got to do with us," he said in a hushed tone.

Lilith looked at him steadily in the eyes before responding but Brianna had a feeling she knew what Lilith was going to say next.

"The Brotherhood of the Pooka's is the highest ranking group of your kind, am I right?" she asked as Bunny nodded, looking slightly perplexed.

"My father used to be a member there," the male Pooka clarified.

The Pooka Brotherhood was something akin to royalty in their kind as they were the ones entrusted by the Tsar to protect any of his relics as they were more than equipped to.

The Brotherhood's royal palace was not located in the Burrows but on the slopes of Mount Regium which literally translated into the Mountain of Royalty.

Regium was located not far from the Burrows as the Brotherhood needed to maintain close contact with the rest of the Pooka's but it was guarded by an elite group of sentinel oval shape statues that wouldn't hesitate to kill you upon command.

Bunny had heard the rumors of the giant stone carvings and their vicious ways. He gave a small shudder at the thought of Regium.

Lilith nodded absentmindedly.

"But what does Pitch have to do with the Brotherhood?" she asked, her stomach dropping to her feet.

The Nightmare King's daughter looked at them with something akin to compassion as Brianna feared the worse.

"The relic that he is after," she began.

"It is an old one that once stolen can power a machine so strong that it could potentially destroy the earth if it fell into the wrong hands."

"As for how it is connected to the Pooka's..." she trailed off.

"Go on," Bunnymund said gruffly.

"Well, it is rumored that the relic is under the protection of the Brotherhood and the only way Pitch can get it is-" she trailed off again.

She took a deep breath. "The only way he can get it is if he were to destroy each and every single Pooka."

The silence in the room that descended with Lilith's words was deafening.

"Why?" Brianna asked, breaking the silence as her violet eyes grew wide.

"So that there would be no one obstructing his way to total control over the Universe," she said flatly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Again, sorry for making you guys wait for this as I've been really busy with school and of course, exams, but don't worry, I hope this chapter will make up for my time away. A few things, to:-**

**_Mysteriousity1:_**** Sorry for the confusion, I've accidently posted a chapter from another one of my stories but it's all cleared up now :)**

**And thank you to ****_ThripleThreat123, Takumisa777, a guest and oO MissPrincess Luna O_****o for your reviews and I'm sorry once again for making you guys wait. **

**Warning: Slight mention of sex at the end but not too graphic. Listen to:**

**Stolen - Dashboard Confessional (absolutely perfect!)**

* * *

They left Pitch's daughters house as the both of them trudged back, Bunny keeping his grip on a boomerang tight just in case.

The silence was tense as the Pooka's tried to digest what Lilith had told them.

Brianna was the first to break the tense silence, her violet eyes shrouded with contemplation.

"So… What do we do now?"

Bunnymund reconsidered what she said as his ears twitched in tensed irritation.

"Well, I say we go give the Brotherhood a visit," he said gruffly as she gave him a small smug smile.

"I knew you'd say that," she replied.

"Well, you know me best, don't you?" Bunny asked jokingly.

He had expected her to sarcastically tell him off or at least roll her eyes but she just remained silent.

In a way, her silence unnerved him.

"Bri?" he asked as he cast a worried look at her.

They were running at the speed of light through the rough forest floor but he had his concentration focused completely on her.

"Oh, nothing," she said, her voice mild but her eyes distant.

Bunny swerved to block her path as he stood up and gave her an uncharacteristic worried look. Brianna had no choice but to stop as she folded her arms and gave him a glare.

"Bri, what's wrong?" he asked as Brianna rolled her eyes.

Bunny grinned – there was the Brianna he knew but her defensive expression melted off as she looked distracted once again.

"Bunny, you do realize that we are the only Pooka's left now right?" she asked softly as Bunny gave her a confused glance.

"Yeah Bri, I knew that ever since 3 days ago," he replied carefully, slightly afraid at what the memory might do to Brianna.

But she just stared contemplatively at him.

Bunny felt his confusion doubling as he stared at his female companion with something akin to apprehension.

"Just spit it out, Bri," he coaxed her.

She took a deep breath.

"When we meet the elders and when they get to know what happened at the burrow…" she trailed off.

"Bunny, you know what this means if we tell them that we're the last ones, right?" she asked as Bunny nodded, patiently waiting for her to continue.

Brianna suddenly cursed under her breath, the tips of her feminine rabbit ears turning a light pink.

Bunny looked at Brianna as if he was seeing her the first time.

In all his years that he knew Brianna, she never cursed nor had the decency to look abashed, but here she was – looking embarrassed at all sorts.

"They're going to want us to reproduce," she said all in one breath as she screwed her eyes shut.

Bunnymund felt his pulse racing as what Brianna said settled in.

It was true - if they did go to the Brotherhood with news of the demise of their village, the elders will merely ask them to reproduce and their population will start all over again at square one.

A tense silence passed between them as they both considered this.

"Bri," Bunny started gently as Brianna looked up at him, her teeth gnawing her lower lip worryingly.

"I know you'll probably hit me for this, but I'm gonna say it anyway- if the Brotherhood did give that suggestion, I wouldn't honestly mind," he said frankly as Brianna's ears perked up.

"Why?" she asked in disbelief.

"Because it wouldn't bug me if it was you," he said in a soft tone, his emerald eyes reflecting sincerity at his words.

Brianna's brow furrowed as she took tried wrapping her head around his words.

"_Why?_" she asked again, this time in a whisper.

Bunny hesitated before taking a hold of her hand.

He had expected her to pull away, snarl at him or all of the above, but she just stood there – shell shocked at wide eyed.

"Bri, you're funny, beautiful, brave, absolutely infuriating, and the smartest female Pooka I know," he said in his most honest tone.

"Why wouldn't I…" he trailed off as he looked at her, his true feelings finally surfacing after all this years of beating it down.

He cleared his throat as he attempted to continue. "Why wouldn't I want that?" he asked as her violet eyes widened.

Bunny reflected on the first day he had met Brianna- how she had insulted him but made him laugh and then smiled so brilliantly, the memory was forever burned into his mind.

That was the first time that he had fallen for her and vowed never too for fear of losing himself- and here he was doing the same thing he said he would never do.

He was losing himself in her eyes.

"But we can't stand each other," she said in a small tone but it didn't sound like she was rejecting him.

It sounded like she wanted him to reconsider and at the same time, not to.

"I think that's part of the charm, love," he said as the tips of her ears flush again.

"You just called me love," she mumbled as he chuckled.

"Indeed I did," he said as he gazed into her brilliant violet eyes.

"What about you?" Bunny asked as he braced himself. "What do you think of all this?"

Brianna took a moment to piece her thoughts together before turning her gaze back to him again.

She instinctively tightened her grip on his hand as she sucked in a small breath.

"I wouldn't mind either," she whispered and before she could get in another word otherwise, Bunnymund had leaned down to capture her lips with his.

Brianna gasped as Bunny drifted his arms to wrap it around her waist and she, around his neck.

She tasted like wild berries and firewood, spicy yet innocent at the same time and Bunny mused as his lips moved against hers- it was the complete embodiment of her.

Brianna sighed as she twisted her fingers into his mass of fur- relishing in its softness as her heart thumped wildly in her chest.

Finally, like two magnets gently pulling away, they placed their foreheads against each other's but their lips stayed connected by only the tiniest of distance.

"Now what?" Bunny mused as Brianna gave a silent giggle.

"We go and meet the Brotherhood," she said in a relief tone at finally getting that out and over with.

"I knew you'd say that," he muttered as she rolled her eyes yet again.

"You know we well, don't you, bird brain?" Brianna asked teasingly as Bunny scoffed and she smiled.

* * *

Brianna gave a soft sigh of contentment as she nuzzled her face into Bunny's chest.

Her mate was currently asleep, drained out from the physical and emotional revelation of their feelings.

She stroked the fur of his chest as she felt his light breath tickling her ears.

_Well, at least the elders wouldn't have to bug us about reproducing_, she mused as Brianna's cheeks flushed at the thought of their passion induce night and consummation of their love.

Bunny gave a little groan in his sleep as his arms tightened around her and she smiled.

Catching herself, she good naturedly rolled her eyes at her sudden uncharacteristic elation.

She gently got up as she placed a soft kiss on his forehead, before laying back to finally let sleep find her.

Brianna would be damned if she ever admitted it, but from the first day- the very first…

Bunnymund had stolen her heart.


End file.
